Urgent Please respond if you can help!!!

stewart

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Mar 1, 2004
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I just got a call from a friend of mine. His father is on a diving trip in Puerto Plata and has been injured (broken leg). He is in a hospital in PP and they won't sign the paperwork to let him get on a plane. ANy ideas what might be going on? Are they trying to make sure they get paid? Should he try and bribe a doctor?
 

Texas Bill

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Feb 11, 2003
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I just got a call from a friend of mine. His father is on a diving trip in Puerto Plata and has been injured (broken leg). He is in a hospital in PP and they won't sign the paperwork to let him get on a plane. ANy ideas what might be going on? Are they trying to make sure they get paid? Should he try and bribe a doctor?

stewart:

Common practice down here is to keep the person in theClinic/hospital ntil they pay their bill. Especially if they are a foreigner.
Does he have Stateside insurance? medicare is useless here and they won't take it.
Tell yourf riend to determine how much is owed, then wire thatto his father at Western Union in Puerto Plata for pickup. He'll have to present his Passport to get it.
Tell him to get a person (preferably the doctor) to go with him to pick up themoney.
Once his bill is settled, he can leave. probably not before.
A word of advise...Dominicans don't trust ANYONE. Too many have skipped without paying.

Texas Bill
 

Ringo

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Mar 6, 2003
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The POP doctor and the airline may be concerned of risk from a blood clot moving and causing a stroke or heart attack with the pressure changes in flight. As I recall, this happened this last weekend. Call you doctor and find out.

Yes the doctor and hospital want money. Most do not accept out of D.R. insurance. But the bill should not be anything like the U.S. Example: I had a hernia operation here in the D.R. Total with private room (TV even worked), $800 US. In the States would have been $8,000 plus 3 month wait, travel and living expenses.

Let us know what your doctor says. Best of luck.
 

wishingiwasthere

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Nov 19, 2005
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I think it may be the break that is the problem. On one flight we were speaking to the steward about what the hold up was. One lady had her arm in a sling and a DR cam on board to have a look at it.

I believe that the pressure change when "up" can cause serious agony to the person with the broken arm/leg or I guess any bone. The steward said there is nothing they can do for the pain once up in the air and its better for them not to fly untill the swelling goes down.

To be honest - a 9 hour flight in cattle class is bad enough - just imagin the extra pain of the swelling and the crys of pain for the other cattle for 9 hours.

Doest bear thinking about does it.......
 

stewart

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Mar 1, 2004
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Thanks to everyone that replied. More information has been passed down to me. Apparently, he develpoed pneumonia and is pretty sick. The Doc. at Centro Medice (William Redondo) is only doing his job not allowing any unneccessary risks. They have arranged to a medi-vac flight to come get him.
Thanks again.
 

canajungirl

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May 18, 2004
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would this by chance be the man who was on a diving expedition for whale watching and was hit by the tail of the mother whale ?? hope he is feeling better.
 

stewart

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would this by chance be the man who was on a diving expedition for whale watching and was hit by the tail of the mother whale ?? hope he is feeling better.


Yes that's him. The version I got was that he was "attacked" by a whale.
I think he will be alright. He runs a diving school here in Utah.
 

planner

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Sep 23, 2002
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Dr Redondo is very good. I would trust his judgement.

The story I heard is that the divers got too close (unintentionally) and disturbed the whales, as the whales were leaving the area the divers got hit.

I hope he will be fine!
 

canajungirl

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May 18, 2004
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thats the story I read as well Planner.Two divers were carried too close to the mother & baby whales (who were sleeping at the time) by the current and bumped into them startling the whales and when they moved is when the divers got hit by the tail of the mother whale.Glad both divers are OK.